Never forgotten

This has been sitting in my draft folder for far too long. As the year mark of when the ban happened came up I was so busy with the Holidays & family I did not get a chance to sit down to write what is on my heart. Firstly I want you to watch this video. These are the parents who had met their children & then the ban happened so they had to leave them behind. My heart is truly broken with them that they might never see these babes again. Some of them may get adopted in their own country but chances are slim for those kids who have 

special needs. Next, take a moment to go read the Hat Story
http://operationorphannomore.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-christmas-hats-story.html
I was so blessed to play a part of this story & help a girl I love dearly. She says it better in her post then I can describe. 
To the girls that hold a piece of my heart, I long for the day when you both can find families who love you endlessly.

I'm greatful that your loved my darling shooting star but it still is nothing compared to the love of a family. I ache with every breath everytime I look at the play house at Sams Club & remember that day I pictured you & your friend, Natasha playing in that house. So, this time when I went past the playhouse I know I needed to take a picture to show everyone a glimpse of what I was visioning inside my head. I managed not to sigh or cry this time but it did make me sad a little to take this photo & realize you might never get to play inside it. Darling girl, if ever your country changes its mind I'm gonna save to get you & your friend a playhouse no matter if I have to save every single penny for awhile. It may not be this same one but I know it's every little girls dream to have a playhouse. 

To my other darling, I long to know if your okay. It breaks my heart everytime I think of you. No updates or photos. I try not to worry but it scares me the not knowing. Know that I love you sweet girl & praying your being loved in some way!

And I can't forget my prayer child Alden,

My sisters "look alike" (picture from when she was much younger on left side)

Finally Precious Carmen,

FACES REMEMBERED BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN! Lifting them all up in prayer & sending them love from afar.  PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THESE PRECIOUS FACES & SAY A PRAYER FOR ALL THE BABES STUCK IN R****A!

Good News!

You may be wondering why I no longer have Joshua's button or donation box on here. It's because thankfully he has A FAMILY! 

As of now, no one has heard from his family so it does not look like I will get to know his new family so as of now I will be focusing efforts on Haisten & any money I have collected from fundraising will go to him. I will update if I get any more information but as of now that's what is happening. If you have donated to Joshua no worries if for some reason his family does not step forward to go through the process for a FSP with Reeces Rainbow donations will go to another child. Thanks for all the support! Now, even though Haisten has no adorable photo to admire let's be sure to get him to his goal of $1,000. 

Friends Forever & cherished memories

This past year has truly been the hardest with advocating as last year the big gates of a country closed its door to adoption. That country held two precious treasures (among others) that did not have families. 

I don't remember when it was maybe a year or so into advocating for her after she was transferred I discovered only one family had ever adopted from where she was but the director was very welcoming to adoption. I found another family would soon be adopting their soon to be daughter from that same place.
All along, don't tell me why since before I knew I pictured Celine with this girl. Maybe, it was their similar hair, about the same age, or cause they were in the same place. I pictured them together in a play house in sams club running around. The day I realized they were together in the same group made me happy & little did I know the peace of that fact would give to me. 

Little did I know the gift God had given me through this sweet girl after the ban took place. I hurt with her dear mom who truly loves this girl & wants her to be with a family. I was looking forward to getting to meet her & I still hope someday I will. They are friends in their institution & though it's a wonderful place both her mom & I hurt for them both. Now, I know why I visioned them together so long ago. THEY NEEDED EACH OTHER, despite the fact that one is wanted & loved I'm thankful they have each other.

It's been heartbreaking as I go through the many 1st's of what I was doing this time last year. The cherished memories as I watched a miracle unfold to get celine voted onto angel tree, got gifts from friends for her grant, the trials of fundraising during angel tree, then the joy seeing her get to her goal & beyond 13 days into Angel Tree 2012 with the help of amazing warriors, the start of my planning for my 21st Birthday fundraiser & many more. As I look yet another year at the stockings hung with notes of prayer & the many ornaments hung on the tree who are stuck just makes me sick to my stomach & want to burst into tears every time I walk into my room.

I had started little stockings for my girls with notes of prayer in them (that some friends had given me) that I would not take down til they found families. I then ended up moving so I had to pack them but this year I plan to keep them in their spot. I even have had little gifts for them including scrapbooks for their future families. It stings as I now have a corner filled with cherished memories, & I have a few special necklaces that somehow relate to them. One has Cora lynnes picture, another I bought from a fundraiser I did, & the most special one of all is the gift an anonymous friend gave to me which (at least from what I assume) had the charms of both girls birthstones. Every single thing has a memory from one or both girls down to my scentsy which was purchased from the fundraiser I did. I just can't think of the memories all the time or that would bring me down.

We had thought at one point a special needs amendment might happen so since they were still listed at that point I pressed forward on the 21st Birthday plan I started thinking about in October 2012 then started planning that December when the ban took place. This is my LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS MEMORY is the blessing that took place on & before Feb. 4, 2013

That's truly one 21st Birthday (or any one!) that I will always remember! All I had wanted was to fundraise for two girls & though it turned out differently than planned if it had not been for the love my friends shared to support my passion 1 girl might not be home with her family, & the other 3 with families on their way. 
Even if you don't know it Girls, I love you more than words can ever say! 

Prayers answered!

I have not updated lately on my two girl butterflies,

Maria happily has a family!

And finally after almost 3 years of praying,

Yep, Brandi has found her family too!!! Brandi, has a special story of how I started to pray for her & I'm greatful God laid her on my heart that day http://lifesbeautifulbutterflies.blogspot.com/2012/04/when-god-tells-you-something-you-do-it.html. I was so happy both days these girls found families & I can't wait til both girls are home! As Happy as I am it's always going to sting with pain knowing that each of these girls received a precious piece of my heart that makes me heartbroken for my daughter of my heart. These girls gained life & partly due to this precious "heart daughter" they are able to be rescued. 

While continuing the prayers answered post, I want to say this girl is now HOME!!

Mary Kay Fundraiser!

Things have been well, slowly moving for both Joshua & Haisten. I was debating to do any more online fundraising as I did not want to "force" or have people thinking they needed to order from every single fundraiser but then my friend brought up that she could do a Mary Kay party for me. As I thought about it different things draw different people I decided to give this my best shot at one of my last attempts for online fundraising for angel tree. So, without further ado here's all the info you need to know!

PLEASE ORDER TODAY OR SHARE!!!

Thankful Thursday NOT Thankless Thursday|Reeces Rainbow

You may be wondering whats up with the title of my post? First of all those of you know the tradition of "Black Friday" & how every year people rush out the day after thanksgiving to get the latest & greatest electronics or other deal items. I do admit us girls in my family have done this almost every year not necessarily for the very best deals but the fun of getting up early to shop & spend time with each other just the girls. Last year, when store opening times went into thanksgiving we went shopping later still on Friday & I told my Mom I wanted to be sure to support the businesses that stayed closed on Thanksgiving. We went to Jc Penney (one of the rare stores I find clothes I actually like) as they were one of the main stores that stayed closed. I had seen some picture of a sign on their door (or something?) that they wanted employees to spend time with their families on thanksgiving so they would be closed that was floating around on facebook. This year when I saw how many national store chains will be open even earlier on thanksgiving (including Jc Penney) & how little stores that will be closed thanksgiving day I was mad & sad at the world we live in. ITS NO LONGER BLACK FRIDAY BUT INSTEAD THANKLESS THURSDAY CAUSE REALLY YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO BE THANKFUL FOR FAMILY BUT INSTEAD BUY MORE & MORE STUFF! This is why I will no longer be participating on Thursdays shopping event. If I happen to be out & about Friday great but I'm not purposely shopping for anything. Today, I'm thankful that I'm not one of the 147 Million orphans in this world. So instead of thankless Thursday let it be a thankful Thursday of what God has blessed you with & give to those that have nothing. 
If you recall my Lost Get Found Giveaway, & the other times I have mentioned him their was a lost boy named "Heath".

Well I'm THANKFUL TO SAY HE IS HOME WITH HIS FAMILY!!!! Thank you God for laying him on my heart & allowing me to find a "lost" American Girl doll so this Lost could be found!

If you want to be thankful for what you do have & make it Thankful Thursday by giving back why don't you order some coffee to help Joshua find his forever family?

Or you can donate to his grant http://reecesrainbow.org/63210/joshua
Support Haisten too by donating to his grant
http://reecesrainbow.org/68534/haisten
ALSO TOMORROW THE MY THIRTY ONE GIFTS FUNDRAISER ENDS & I HAVE ONLY GOTTEN A FEW ORDERS. 50% OF PROCEEDS GOES TO THE BOYS. SO GO TO MY LEAH H. (ONLY PARTY ON THERE) PARTY TO ORDER! Lots of cool things that would make great Christmas gifts! When you spend $35 or more you can get a medium utility tote for just $7! https://www.mythirtyone.com/forms/frm_event_my_events.aspx
I wish you all a very blessed & thankful thanksgiving this Thursday! 

National Adoption Awareness Month|Reeces Rainbow

Happy National Adoption Awareness Month! To start this post let me share what I posted on my facebook the other day.

"November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Though my family nor I (at least not yet for me hehe!) have adopted we have had many friends over the years that have & from all sorts of adoption from private to foster care to international. We have seen their joys & struggles that have come but the joys have overcome the struggles. Many of these kids I know personally have blessed my life in more ways than one & shown me what love can truly do for a child. We also know somewhat of the other side of adoption as we have a dear friend who had to give up her son a long time ago. Adoption is a blessing & it saddens me that today on Orphan Sunday don't know or celebrate that fact.

Their are millions of orphans waiting & I know not everyone can adopt but we all can do something to help! Pray, Donate, advocate, bring a meal to an adoptive family, help with a fundraiser, donate handmade or other items to an auction, etc. I know I talk often here about it but once my eyes & heart were open especially by the plight of special needs orphans overseas I knew I had to do something. I grew up fantasizing adoption & use to say I would have a houseful of adopted kids. In 2010, through a posting about a fundraiser on a friend of my moms fb page I followed the journey of a little girl named Sophia. Then I found a whole new world & discovered mental institutions still exist in other countries. That broke my heart to hear that other countries were what it was here 25+ years ago. I was 18 at the time & thought what could I do to help at my age? At that point is when sad, desperate little boy captured my heart strings. And if you have known me that long you know the awesome ending to that little boys fate. You see if I had said I'm way too young to help & looked away his ending might have turned out differently but God made it beautiful. So you see you may think your too old or young to adopt, or to help but I say you can! Age is but a number! Just read my god stories on my blog & I have heard even younger kids making a difference in the adoption community. Thank you if you took the time to read this!"

So you see if my eyes had not been opened, I would have never looked into the depth of this boys eyes & said yes I will help you.

He might have never known the Love of a family & I'm so thankful he found his forever family.

My heart would never have been stolen by this precious princess

Then yet again this one

One day, changed the princesses fate & my heart hurt for them & still does to this day. But Beauty rose from the ashes as my two beautiful butterflies helped two beautiful butterflies find families. (one still has two others she has helped waiting for families!) Berkeley's family could still use some support! go donate here

Which has also lead me to this darling butterfly

And this one!

And it continues on & on, including the new boys. Point is Adoption is beautiful. This is where my heart lies helping orphans find families, praying & doing whatever I can even though I can't adopt right now. Special Needs orphans in particular hold a soft spot in my heart since I have a sister with Down Syndrome. Right now here's a way you can support an orphan or two & do some christmas shopping by going here!